People Need To Stop Insulting Paris Hilton's Baby
Bullying a baby is a new low.
Tinseltown / Shutterstock Paris Hilton recently posted a picture of her son, Phoenix, on his first mom-and-baby trip to New York City, where Hilton was the guest on "The Tonight Show." Hilton was clearly proud of this milestone moment, yet in sharing it, she opened herself and her son up to some majorly unwarranted criticism.
Upon posting the photo of her and her son, Hilton was barraged by insults aimed at her baby.
If you were to scroll through the comments section below her Instagram post, you’d find many people cooing over just how cute Phoenix is. Yet you’d also find comments about the size of Phoenix's head, along with numerous insults about the way he looks.
It should go without saying that commenting on anyone’s body is wildly unwarranted. To comment on a baby’s appearance is even worse.
Leveraging insults against a baby captures a particularly cruel aspect of how people interact online. It’s almost as though the people insulting Hilton’s baby think they’re invisible; that the anonymity of the internet provides some sort of shield where they’re not literally bullying a baby.
Even the comments wondering if there are medical reasons that might account for the size of Phoenix’s head shouldn’t be made. The comments might be coming from a place of concern, yet they do no actual good. All they’re doing is concern-trolling a new mom, who has her own pediatrician to voice any concerns over the development and growth of her baby.
People need to stop insulting Paris Hilton’s baby.
"The comments under this picture are ruthless," noted Holden Smith via TikTok. "People have been talking about this child all over Instagram, all over Twitter and it just has to stop."
"Phoenix and Paris are camp," he proclaimed, referring to Phoenix as being "iconic," just by virtue of being Hilton's son. He continued with his effusive praise of Hilton, saying, "We really just have to protect Paris Hilton at all costs, because she is an American gem."
Hilton is clearly proud of being a mom to Phoenix. In the few other posts she’s shared featuring her son, her love for him is palpable.
She commemorated his 6 months on Earth by posting on Instagram, sharing photos of him cradled in her lap. She wrote, “He is my world and makes my life feel so complete. Can’t wait for all the magical memories we’ll create together!”
Underneath the post came comment after comment about how uncomfortable she looked holding her son, how something about the baby seemed to be developmentally off. All these comments came from strangers, people who’ve never met Hilton or her baby, yet were ready to offer their diagnoses, unasked.
Hilton’s instinct to share her happiness as a mom is maybe the most normal mom-instinct there is. Find me any new mom who doesn’t want to gush over their baby. A major part of motherhood is the pride involved — pride at creating and welcoming new life into the world, the pride at entering a parenting role.
Yet no matter how Hilton presents her new life as a mom, she seems unable to win.
Hilton announced Phoenix’s birth on January 24, 2023, via Instagram, sharing a sweet photo of his hand in hers, noting, "You are already loved beyond words."
Hilton and her husband Carter Reum had Phoenix via surrogate, a decision they were criticized for. She reported later that she kept the entire pregnancy under wraps, even waiting until a few days after her son’s birth to let her family know.
However Hilton wants to parent is her prerogative, as long as she’s not causing active harm. Those of us who aren’t part of her family — and that means most people — have no place to decide what she’s like as a mom.
The stakes for being criticized as a new parent are already high. When you’re Paris Hilton, it seems they’re even higher.
Alexandra Blogier is a writer on YourTango's news and entertainment team. She covers celebrity gossip, pop culture analysis and all things to do with the entertainment industry.